Health and Safety Policies and ProceduresFirst Aid

1. Introduction

First aid, in common with many other areas of health and safety, is managed on a risk assessment basis.

First aid covers the initial and immediate response to an injury, which may involve nothing more than the application of a plaster through to trying to stabilise a casualty while waiting for the emergency services to arrive.

Definitions

First aider: A first aider is someone who has undergone a training course in administering first aid at work and holds a current first aid at work certificate. Training organisations running first aid at work courses used by [company name] are only those approved by the HSE.

Appointed person: An appointed person is someone nominated by the company who will take charge in an emergency situation. They will also maintain the first aid supplies on site.

2. Procedure

2.1 First Aid Risk Assessment

[company name] will ensure that a first aid risk assessment is in place. This will be conducted using:

• the findings from all other risk assessments which have been completed

• accident records or near-miss (incident) records

• operator experience

This risk assessment will be conducted by a competent person and will be reviewed annually.

2.2 Guidance on provision of first aid facilities

a) First aiders or appointed persons

Where the decision is taken that a first aider is needed, a minimum of two will be provided to allow for covering of holidays, sickness or other absence.

A document will be posted or otherwise made available informing all staff of the names and locations of the first aiders or appointed persons.

[company name] will ensure that all first aiders are suitably trained and receive regular refresher training as identified via their certificates.

Numbers of first aiders or appointed persons will be addressed in line with the following:

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Health and Safety Policies and ProceduresFirst Aid

b) First aid equipment

All employees will be informed of the location of the first aid facilities.

This will be addressed via the risk assessment but as a minimum will be:• a leaflet giving general guidance on first aid• 20 individually wrapped sterile adhesive dressings (assorted sizes)• two sterile eye pads• four individually wrapped triangular bandages (preferably sterile)• six safety pins• six medium-sized (approximately 12 cm x 12 cm) individually wrapped sterile

unmedicated wound dressings;• two large (approximately 18 cm x 18 cm) sterile individually wrapped

unmedicated wound dressings;• one pair of disposable gloves.

All mobile workers (those who routinely spend a large proportion of their time working off-site) will be provided with first aid facilities.

Related procedure: Accident Management

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